English
mothball
The noun is derived from moth + ball.
The story
The noun is derived from moth + ball.
Today it means
noun A small ball of chemical pesticide (originally camphor and now typically naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene) and deodorant placed in or around clothing and other articles to deter moth larvae which may damage them.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “mothball”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / mothball